“The Go Global event highlights the importance of international partnerships for maintaining our competitive edge and generating new investments across the state,” said Deal. “Georgia businesses offer a diversified variety of exports including chemicals, plastics, poultry, paper and aerospace products, which provide the foundation for long-term growth in the international marketplace. In the last decade, Georgia’s exports to Peru have increased by 42 percent and expanding representation to this market will continue to strengthen this relationship. I applaud all of our Go Global Award winners for cultivating new international connections and for having such a tremendous impact on Georgia’s economic success. With our strong international presence, Georgia is ready and able to support companies looking to achieve new levels of success through global commerce.”

“International business continues to soar in Georgia,” said GDEcD Commissioner Pat Wilson. “As we announce the expansion of our international footprint into Peru, we also celebrate 40 Georgia businesses who have entered new markets in 2017. I am proud of the important work these companies have done to keep us competitive in the global economy, and I appreciate the hard work of our international trade team in Atlanta and offices around the world in helping Georgia’s companies grow and compete on the world stage.”

Governor Nathan Deal expressed a preference for paper ballots if state legislators move forward with legislation to change voting procedures, according to the AJC.

The Republican said Tuesday an overhaul of the voting system is not on his agenda and that he’s likely to sign whatever emerges from the Legislature. But he said the push to require some sort of paper backup is a compelling one.

“I understand the argument that we need something on a paper ballot to be able to verify what is actually done,” he said. “Because otherwise it is very difficult to give comfort to some people that their vote is actually recorded.”

He added: “From what I have seen, it looks like a reasonable approach is being taken.”

Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul, whose city passed its ban in 2016, said last week that city officials there are considering their options as far as testing the constitutionality of the bill.

Paul said the ban started out in Sandy Springs as a quick way to stop low-quality development from coming to his city. It was a temporary solution meant to give the young city time to fine tune its plans for managing growth, he said.

But now, the mayor said safety concerns and the city’s capacity to respond to fires at high-density, high-rise structures are also driving the city’s push to stop Corbett’s bill. The city’s fire chief also testified against the bill at hearings.

“All we want is the ability to assess our own situation to make the decision affecting the lives of our first responders and residents,” Paul said. “That’s all we ask. We’re not trying to impose this on anybody else.”

Georgia State Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Jesse Stone, (R-Waynesboro) slowed two bills that would open state sovereign immunity to allow more lawsuits against the state, according to The Brunswick News.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Jesse Stone, R-Waynesboro, said two of the bills the committee was to consider Monday would not receive a vote, at the request of state Rep. Chuck Efstration, R-Dacula, the bill’s main sponsor.

Efstration updated the committee on the bill’s progress, and his negotiations with Senate Banking and Financial Institutions Committee Chairman William Ligon, R-White Oak.

“I spoke with Chairman Ligon before the committee meeting today — he raised some issues and had done some research on the bill, and so I’ve committed to him to work with him on that,” Efstration said. “I actually plan to be working on a committee substitute to address the concerns raised that I can then bring to him. I know that there are advocates who are also interested in the legislation.”

“My hope is to meet with them and come back before you, if the chair will hear it again this week, with language that’s been fully vetted, so that when the committee hears it, that the committee can take confidence that input’s been given to address the concerns that were raised.”

The Georgia Public Service Commission said the savings for the utility’s customers is the result of a cut in the Nuclear Construction Cost Recovery fee connected to financing of construction on two nuclear power units at Plant Vogtle near Waynesboro, Ga.

The reduction in the fee comes with the federal corporate income tax rate being reduced this year from 35 percent to 21 percent, as well as an agreement between Georgia Power and Toshiba that ultimately resulted in lower construction costs on the nuclear expansion project, the PSC said.

Elliott Melvin Brown and Charlie Walker Jr. are headed into an April 17 runoff to represent District 7 on the Richmond County Board of Education after neither garnered the majority needed to win Tuesday night.

According to results not yet certified by the Richmond County Board of Elections, Walker was the top finisher with 366 votes, or 36.4 percent, to Brown’s 274 votes, or 27.2 percent.

The county’s Board of Commissioners approved the acceptance of nine dinosaur statues, worth $10,000, that are being donated to Gwinnett County’s Parks and Recreation Division by NDI Development. County Community Services Director Tina Fleming said the dinosaur statues will be used to promote fitness and exploration at the parks.

The statues, some of which are estimated to be about a dozen feet in height, will be deployed at parks through the end of 2018 with funds from a previously awarded National Recreation and Parks Association “Meet Me in the Park” grant.

The grant is funded by Disney.

“When we got the opportunity to get the donation of the dinosaurs, and since it was a Disney thing, we decided to do something that would engage both old and young to go hunt for a dinosaur in their favorite park,” Fleming said.

Gwinnett Transportation Director Alan Chapman said that although the county’s Transit Development Plan isn’t finished yet, officials are at a stage where they know which direction it will point them. An update on the plan’s development was presented to county commissioners on Tuesday.

Bus rapid transit on roads such as Satellite Boulevard parallel to the north side of Interstate 85 appears to be a key part of the plan, but Chapman didn’t rule out rail being in Gwinnett’s future as well.

“On the high capacity side, financially it is a more reasonable option for us,” Chapman said. “Given our population density and our job density, at this point it seems like a more appropriate mode for us to pursue. We do think, at this point, that is one of the modes that we want to at least recommend to invest in to the public and our commissioners.

“We do think, with growth, there would be a chance that we might need some form of rail in the future.”

The 15-month construction project would create 70 jobs to build the $9.2 million facility and it would generate $22.5 million to the local economy each year after it was built, the study suggested. That doesn’t include the 10,000 to 15,000 visitors who would come to the region to see a launch, he said.

Trey Hood, a political science professor at University of Georgia, also shared the results of public surveys conducted in 13 counties in Southeast Georgia. Support for the project has increased during early surveys, with more than 59 percent of registered voters polled saying they support the project.

Most of the increase in support has come after residents have learned more about the project and the possible benefits it could bring to the region.

The poll, commissioned by the Georgia Association of REALTORS, determined about 21 percent were opposed, 18 percent were neutral and two percent had no opinion.

[County Commissioner Mike] Browning proceeded to ask questions, but Chapman declined to answer. He said he was merely there to observe the meeting and would not answer any questions unless they were in writing.

“I’m not going to answer any questions, Commissioner Browning, so I’m taking a seat and let you tell the public what you think the situation is,” Chapman said.

Other commissioners took issue with Chapman’s refusal to answer verbal questions.

“Come on, commissioner. Come on now. If that’s how we’re going to do this, that’s not going to be a good working relationship,” said Commissioner Allen Booker.

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